At least you’ll have a “spy” looking in on the place regularly to report back if things get close to too far out of hand.
Oh, I would think she would be grateful to pay for the added four days and have it taken care of. I imagine this is a total relief to her. Number one to have you know and repairing everything and number two not to continue living in it like that.
I think you have been very kind to her.
As 2gigch1 Said,
“I would believe that if you both have been working together over this very embarrassing issue for her she should understand the need for some more time. Just tell her the truth as to why the time is needed and you should be able to work it out.”
Yes I do not foresee any problem here.
BTW, Many very inteligent folks have this “problem”. I am glad to see you dealing with her in a respectful way. You are doing a good job, keep it up.
PS. I will figure out how to do the Quotes properly someday. I tried here.
I’ve dealt with quite a few houses that were left uninhabitable by professional people.
Uhh, if the fact that she was living in diapers because of a lack of a working toilet because it was too covered in shit to use didn’t wake her up…I doubt this will. In fact, as is the case with a lot of hoarders, the mass dumping of all their stuff without the proper psychiatric care during the process just makes their hoarding worse.
I know you don’t want to kick her out but are you willing to put out this much money and maybe even more a year from now? Cause I’m guessing she’s gonna be in the same situation as she was now.
A building I lived in for 8 years had an extermination policy that required them to enter all of the units every 6 months. They had an exterminator on retainer and available the first Thursday of every month at my building, so if you needed one sooner than every 6 months you could. They put a notice under everyone’s doors with a reminder every 6 months, giving 2 days notice that the exterminator and building manager would be entering every apartment at that time.
I think they did this specifically to be able to get eyes into the units on a regular basis, legally, and make sure nothing nutso was happening. I bet the OP could do something similar, especially under these circumstances. I bet with a lawyer’s help, the OP could put a lease together that’s specific to this tenant, requiring regular access to the unit - say every 90 days - with 48 hours notice.
Yes, and I think I said upthread that a lot of this is my fault; I knew what she was when I bought the house. But life and lack of time, and yes, sheer denial on my part is a huge part of this. I will be hiring the maid for her, and yes, ZipperJJ, the intent is a spy, or at least someone to watch for madness and report to me. I didn’t realize the true extent of her phsical problems, for example, she can’t raise her arms above her shoulders, a result of 2 broken shoulders. Making changing the HVAC filter an impossibility. Access will be no problem, trust me, she wants to be friends now (arrgghh), and I have been repeatedly stressing to her that she MUST tell me when there’s a problem, that the only way I could be angry is it she does not. I will be going over at least once a month, to change the HVAC filter, and look around. The young man in the house next door, also a tenant, has agreed to push her recycling bin to the curb and retrieve it on recycling day (did I mention she’s a fiend for recycling-go figure), in exchange for a slight reduction of his monthly rent. Worth it to me.
She really is a lovely and caring person, but she’s sick. Angel Soft, she had all the say she wanted in what I disposed of, I didn’t even say “Oh christ no” when she insisted on keeping the totally ruined straw hat. Or the clawed to tears cat tree, since she may want another kitty. Sigh. I have been bringing boxes for her to fill in a decluttering effort, and she’s been doing that-a hopeful sign was that she bought some of her own boxes to keep filling. She says she’s “inspired” now.
In any case, we’ve had the conversation about staying at her hotel until Tuesday, and she’s agreed, willingly. She also has asthma, and I do need the place to air out, as gotpasswords says, and I have a sink refinisher coming in Tues. morning to refinish the kitchen sink, and I told her that that is a very strong and probably bothersome odor. She agreed. And sadly, for me at least, she will have to live with the concrete floors until we can figure out how to have them epoxied (she prefers that tile which she finds hard to keep clean (HAHAHAHAHA) ), and there is of course an odor to that process.
Maybe next year.
Thanks for all the advice, and some kind words.
Sounds like you’ve made the best of a bad situation, and I’m sure this lady will be grateful. Hopefully she has a colleague she can get some therapy from. Some hoarders can do well if they have someone to check on them regularly and for whom to be accountable. I’m sure she was excruciatingly humiliated when you first found all this out, and that may be a big motivator for her to continue improving. The housekeeper is a great idea. Many people will tell you about how they tidy up before their cleaner comes!
Okay DummyGladHands, I have to apologize. It seems as if you are trying to do the right thing, so my reaction was unfair. My apologies, and sorry to hear about your situation.
No problem, I apparently didn’t explain the sitch well. And I have done forcible detainers, and they suck. Remind me again how long a non-paying tenant ends up living in and destroying your property–
Yes. And the part about her considering another cat is not a good sign. If you do renegotiate a lease, maybe add “no pets”?
With monthly collection of the rent in person so it can be inspected.